School leavers face tough times in the job market
25 August 2009
School leavers need more help to find a job while the employment market is in turmoil, a new report has warned.
Categories:
Talent management
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Learning & development
Businesses are more likely to hire the long-term unemployed than school leavers, according to a new study.
Research conducted by KPMG and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reveals that only 24 per cent of employers plan to hire from the 16 to 18-year-old age group.
It also revealed that 63 per cent will be looking to hire from the 19-24 age range, with a similar number targeting workers older than this.
Gerwyn Davies, CIPD public policy adviser, called on more to be done to ensure school leavers can obtain the experience needed to succeed.
He called for a six-month work placement subsidy of £1,250 to help 16 and 17 year olds who have been out of work for half a year.
"The subsidy would be a useful addition to the armoury of measures targeted as mounting youth joblessness and go some way towards helping pressured companies do their bit for what is becoming a national crisis," Mr Davies said.
Last week, the British Chambers of Commerce stated that training and education should focus on ensuring people obtain the skills needed by business, rather than the grades being achieved.